"Oh, Sora, I'm so glad to see you!"
The boy could not exactly say the same as his eyes widened in shock as he stared down at the figure that was still laughing with unbridled joy on the cold cobblestone streets of Traverse Town. His Keyblade disappeared in a sheen of light from his hand as he brought his palms up to rub at his face. He shook his head, the gravity-defying spikes of his hair swinging with the movement. His hands dragged down his face, comically pulling at his skin making his bright eyes look even wider. When he looked to the place Yué had been, half expecting his head shake to have caused her to disappear, she was still there her silver eyes peeking up at him with amusement through the bangs of her raven hair.
Sora fell to his knees, his head falling backward as he let out a long groan of disappointment, "Noooooo, I'm deeeeeeead." That obviously had to be the only explanation, at least in his mind, because how else would the girl from his dreams be sitting right in front of him? He fell back completely, his arms plopping against the stone. So dramatic.
Yué's laughter softened into a quiet giggle as she watched the boy from her dreams, at last in front of her for real, lament his situation to the night sky. "Um, Sora...?"
"And I want to tell my sister that I love her, and I'm sorry for the time I put sand in the salt shaker..."
"Soraaaaa..."
"And the time I put a fish in her shorts..."
"Sora?"
"And the time I smashed a seagull egg over her head..."
"Sora! You're not dead!"
He perked at this, lifting himself up on his elbows to look upon her once more, "I'm not?"
Yué scoffed, rolling her eyes at his antics. He liked his theatrics, it seemed. She was sure that if she hadn't stopped his ramblings he would have it in his head to start enacting a one-man play of his life right in front of her. "No, so to disappoint you, but you're definitely alive." She huffed, holding out her hand in the air, "Now will you help a girl up?"
"Oh yeah! Sorry!" And with the energy of a hyperactive puppy, Sora rose to his feet with the swiftness of the wind. His hand reached out to grasp her own, and the second that Sora's finger's brushed Yué's bright colorful sparks emitted from where their skin touched and a blinding flash of light engulfed them. The world around them faded away, and Sora, almost instinctually, tucked Yué protectively into his side. "Y'know, none of this stuff ever happened to me until you showed up," Sora grumbled. Yué only offered up a slight laugh in response.
Where once stood the cobbled streets of Traverse Town now stood a plush and quiet room, misty like they were staring at it through a fog. Three figures stood to one side, two were cloaked in grainy darkness, their faces indiscernible, but the third glowed like a guiding light. She was a beautiful young girl, maybe ten years old. Her hair fell in soft pastel pink waves over her shoulders and a serene smile rested on her angelic features. She was hunched slightly, her arms delicately cradling a bundle of blankets close to her chest.
Sora felt Yué stiffen in his arms, and he glanced down at her in concern. Her eyes were wide and teary, her hand outstretched towards the girl that stood before them. "Do you know her?" he asked, his voice soft so as not to disturb the peace in the room.
Yué nodded, her hand coming to clutch at her heart, "Tui. She's-" she swallowed back the tears that threatened to surface, "she's my sister."
"Hello, my Sweet Moon. I'm so happy to finally meet you," Tui whispered, holding out a finger above the bundle in her arms. A tiny hand peeked out from the bundle. Yué. The tiny hand grasped onto Tui's outstretched finger and the same sparks that appeared between Sora and Yué sparked between Yué and her sister. The baby giggled, and as though they were leaves in the breeze, the world fell away and changed before them once again.
Colors swirled before them like an endless ocean, and when at last the waves stilled they surfaced in a land filled with daylight. Sora and Yué stood in a garden, the sky around them twinkling with crystals that floated in the air like rain. A multitude of figures stood before them now, the tallest surround by on all sides by those dark and twitching creatures so reminiscent of the ones they had encountered in Traverse Town but also entirely different. A small Yué grasped to her sister's skirts, tiny and silents sobs leaving her as she cried fearfully as the dark creatures tried to make their way towards her.
"I remember this," breathed the Yué that was held in Sora's arms. A metallic shing sounded, splitting the air. A Keyblade appeared in Tui's hand and she held it in front of herself and her sister protectively. Sora summoned his own, noticing the similarities as well as the differences between his blade and the one wielded by Yué's older sister. Both held purple blades, but the hilt of his shone gold whereas Tui's gleamed a deep purple. Opposites but complementary. He held it out before them, and the Keyblade seemed to sing in Yué's presence as though it had finally been imbued with its purpose.
Protect! Protect! Protect the Heart! The Guardian and the Heart united again! Protect her! Keep her safe! Keep her shining!
Tui slashed at the creatures before her, shouting as she sliced the creatures through if they dared to try and come too close to her sister. Soon there were no more enemies and Tui collapsed to her knees and pulled the young Yué into her arms. "It's alright, Moon. I've got you. There's nothing to fear. I'm here. I'm here..."
They were thrust once more into the whirlwind they had become familiar with as the scene around them changed its shape once more. The gale of hues that encircled them, at last, deposited them gently into a room bathed in warmth and light. Stone bricks were placed into a circular basin filled with water. In the very middle of the circle came the source of light, the softly lapping water slightly distorting the waves of light that shone down from the source.
"Are you sure about this, my dear?"
Sora and Yué turned towards the source of the voice, finding it to be a wizened old wizard clothed in a star-patterned purple pointy wizard's hat and cloak. He stood on the edge of the basin next to a set of semi-circular stairs that led into the water.
"That's Master Yen Sid," Yué explained, "I'm pretty sure he knows everything."
"I'm certain," came the familiar voice of Tui in reply. She stood on the steps just at the crest of the water, the hem of her white dress slowly turning soaked and sticking to her ankles. Tui took another step into the water, and then another until she reached the bottom of the basin and the water reached her hips. She swayed gently along with the waves, her arms softly skimming the surface. Her features seemed more gaunt and pale than they had yet seen, and her eyes, which Sora could finally see were a soft grass green, shone with weakness and sorrow. "Xehanort has taken too much of my strength. I can't protect her anymore, but I can watch over Ven in his slumber. Yué will be safe with Mickey under the Cornerstone of Light until my successor comes for her, but I ask you, Master, not as the Guardian of the Heart but as the only mother that child has ever known, please make sure that no harm befalls my sister."
Yen Sid nodded, "I swear it on the Great Light of Kingdom Hearts."
Tui muttered her thanks and dropped to her knees, the water rising to caress her color bones. She sighed and closed her eyes, bringing her hands up clasped in prayer. A few moments were spent in silence, the only sound the lapping of the water. Tui's lips moved but no words were uttered as she prayed, and then all at once she stopped. Light streamed from Tui's chest and coalesced into a ball before her. It stayed for a bit, almost as though it were wishing a final goodbye to its master before it shot off through the stone towards the sky. Tui let herself collapse into the water, floating on the surface and looking even weaker than she had moments before. "It's done," she heaved, and then, at last, they all fell into darkness.
"Sora? Are you okay? You're crying." spoke a voice from the void, sweet and childlike but still full of concern.
Sora gasped, looking around in the dark for the voice, "That's Lanri! That's my sister! But she sounds so small..."
"I think we're still in a memory, Sora," Yué remarked gently, grabbing onto his hand to ground him to her. She was soon proven correct for soon after the darkness faded from all around them and they were left standing in the alley of Traverse Town they had found themselves in before.
He looked up to the dark sky, the stars dancing in the blues of his eyes as he smiled forlornly, "Y'know, for a second I thought she had found me. After the island was lost I didn't..."
Ah, so it must have been his home that had been lost to the dark. Yué hummed, understanding painted on her features. The loss echoed from his soul in waves and she had to hold back her tears as his emotions wafted over her. She couldn't claim to know him, this was the first she'd ever interacted with him outside of a dream after all, but he was sweet and kind and he didn't deserve to ever feel sad. "If you want, I can help you find her."
Sora looked down to meet her gaze, hope beginning to bubble up in his chest at the thought that his sister was not entirely lost. "You can do that?"
"Yep!" Yué beamed. She turned to face him fully, bringing up her right hand to rest over the space where his heart rested inside of him. "I need you to think about your sister," she commanded. "Every memory you have of her. All of the love you carry for her. Your heart will do the rest of the work."
Sora's eyes fell shut as he concentrated on the thought of his sister, his brows furrowing with the effort. Yué giggled, it was sort of adorable. Her own eyes closed, and she saw images flicker before her as they passed from Sora to herself. A bright smile. A sisterly warmth. A gleam of mischief in cerulean eyes that were so much like Sora's own. Yué encouraged Sora's heart to call out for her sister's, and she felt the reply return quickly. Confusion. Wonder. Guilt.
Yué let out a soft gasp, her eyes fluttering open as the remaining emotions washed out of her and sat floating just out of reach but still present. "She's close," breathed the princess, "and she's been looking for you too."
Sora's own eyes opened as he sucked in a large breath at the feeling of having his very soul caressed by the warmth of another's, and the free-falling sensation as his heart seemed to depart him in the search for Lanri. "How'd you do that?" he asked, his words slightly slurred. He felt so woozy. His eyes drifted to the Key still held in his hand as he thought about the words it had sung to him. The Heart. The Guardian. Protect.
A small sad smile graced Yué lips and she gave a little shrug, "I wish I knew."
The young Keyblade wielder shook himself from his revelries and joy flittered across his face with the thought that his sister was close. "We'll figure that out later! We have to find Lanri!" he exclaimed. Sora gripped Yué's hand tightly in his own, his fingers lacing with hers as he dragged her behind him in his haste.
Yué let out a yelp and shouted indignantly, "Hey! You can't just pull along random girls! This is kidnapping!"
"You're not random!" Sora laughed, and he let out a loud cheer as they continued to rush through the streets of Traverse Town.
Hi guyyyyyyz. 'Nother chapter for ya. Sora and Yué stuff is always my favorite to write so this was just fun for me all the way through. No Lanri this chapter, but we got some backstory so that's always nice. I'll try to be back as soon as possible. I'm kinda liking doing smaller chapters because I can get all of my ideas out quicker. Until next time! Stay safe!